Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-20
gHg LADDER OF FAME.
RyR S. WILLIAMS.


~, u.ma "a simpson-plain James
simrsop. Probably you have never heard
rrder that name, but all the same
S1emes simpson. When l tell you That
'1.,.,,. hack writer for newspapers,
,s atrong noetical prOclivities, you will
rooarstaud that life mas not AT all times
tnar m me bed OF roses. My principal
obnms in the good old Bohemian days
rore JanSins and Neutrality-suspicious.
10th Of them, the former being on the
noiIv Blizzard and the latter on the Even
Inc Vortex, two papers which occupied
,s8ding positions in the journalistic field
nj tine dear old city OF X, In which we
Nodded on with our work and hacked
away to keep food in our babies and clothes
on Them. A pretty hard time one had OF
Il, too.
occasionally sent poems to the maya
zine with the modest autograph jaime s
Simpson egibly written at the right hand
oVer corner They ALWAYS came back
IN about ten days with a neat little print
Cd notice which | always crumpled up
and swOre at. Perhaps these same poems
subsequently found an obscure corner
in a newspaper, and that was the end Of
them.
knew that my ideals were lofty and
true: felt certain that had as much OF
that iDdednable thing called inspiration
as many other successful writer's possess
ed. MY education was good. and yet
James SIMPSON somehow didn't receive
recognition. 1t was disheartening. Be-
sides Jenkins. MariOwe and myself had
all reached that pecuniary condition
known as 'hardup."
We all perceived that something must
be done. it was in decidedly indigo
frame OF mind, then, that | climbed the
stairs to nv room on a certain wintry
nig1t and rolled myself under the covers
10 try to clear my BRAIN by sleep. But il
wouldn't come. | don't know what hour
Of the night it was that an idea struck me.
Being quite unaccust9med to contact
with this article, | didn't know at first
What 1t was; but after a few seconds OF
0pen-eyed wonder concluded that it was
an IDEA. More than that, l was con-
Tlnced that 1t was good idea. pondered
again and in few moments had reached
tne conclusion tnatit was brilliant idea.
longed for the morning to come that
might set about putting 1t into execution.
Sleep was out Of the question for me; my
IDEA bad possession of me: IL had given
my mentality boost, and felt as though
Ganymede had just served me with
glass Of Oympian champagne Nectar
sec; Bacchus & Co., Psrnasse). tossed
ABOUT Till daylight, and with the early
sTeaks OF dawn arose. Then, having per.
formed my simple additions in a cracked
pasln, With water poured from a jug
gulltless OF a handle, got into my seedy
clothes and prepared myself for the great
experience Of my life.
VIII not here attempt to describe to
you what that experiment was: its de-
lalls must he left to the natural develop
Mehto OF this veracious narrative: but |
may SO Tar satisfy your curiosity IN
general way as to say that | had con.
. .eiIeu tne notion that people like what
.ley can't understand-that men. being
vSn.y children Of a larger growth, always
"a. asnktr after the unattainable: hence that
n w render anything popular 1t is only
Sd'esesessary TO make it complicated and
oiilcult OF attainment.